Following the Trail
by EowynBlack
Summary: What happened inbetween the time where Sydney collapses in her bedroom from when she wakes up in Hong Kong? What happens when someone finds out she's missing? Rated for violence, etc.


**Following the Trail**

_by__ Éowyn Black_

Disclaimer:  I in no way at all own Alias.  I envy those who do, however!

~*~

"Syd…since that night…you were missing.  You've been missing for almost two years."

~*~

About Two Years Earlier

~*~

"Sydney, it's me.  Listen, this is going to sound insane but I just found Provacilium in the bathroom and I think that…I think that…uh, okay, just think about it.  I think that the double is Franc--."

Sydney hands up the phone, trying to be calm.  She takes a big spoonful of the ice cream and plasters on a smile.  "Want some?" she asks.

"Sure," Francie replies.

Sydney feeds it to her and covers up the ice cream.

"I just have to change out of these clothes."  Sydney leaves the room to go to her bedroom.

As soon as Sydney's gone, Francie looks up.  She knows that Sydney knows.

Sydney walks into her bedroom and looks under the bed.  She gets the gun hidden there and checks to see that it's loaded.

"I just remembered.  Francie doesn't like coffee ice cream," Francie says from the doorway. 

Sydney looks up.  Francie has a gun pointed at her.

"No, she doesn't."

"Drop the gun!  Drop it!!"

Sydney shoots at her.  Francie ducks out in the hallway.  Sydney runs out of the room and they begin their fight.

They both block punches and find themselves in the bathroom.  Sydney falls back and trips Francie.  She turns around and sees Will's body in the bathtub.  Sydney stares in horror and grabs an ornament from nearby, turning to face Francie.  She hits her with it, elbowing her in the face.  

They move into the hallway.  Francie whips a roundhouse at Sydney which sends her falling back.  Francie grabs her fallen gun as Sydney jumps over the kitchen counter.  Francie is shooting up the place as Sydney ducks near the fridge for cover.  Francie comes around and Sydney throws a whole cutlery drawer at her.  Francie ducks.  

Sydney punches Francie a few times and gets her against the wall.  She kicks her and bangs Francie's hand against the pillar so she will drop the gun.  Sydney elbows her and throws the cutting board at Francie, who again ducks.  Sydney makes a grab at Francie's head and throws her into the glass cupboard door, which smashes.  Francie grabs Sydney's head and rams it against the dry dishes on the counter, breaking them all.

Sydney falls, gets up, and kicks and punches Francie, backing her up to the living room.  She throws Francie into the glass coffee table.

Sydney spots the gun in the other room and runs for it, but Francie's right there.  They are on the patio.  Sydney reaches for the gun but they struggle for it, with Sydney throwing Francie off of her a couple of times.  Sydney jumps to her feet and kicks her, elbowing her in the back.  She uses the wall for support and jumps off it, kicking Francie.  

She tackles her and they both smash through the patio doors leading back into Sydney's bedroom.  The gun slides across the floor.  Sydney gets up, kicks Francie in the head, punching her, which is blocked.  Sydney jumps on the bed and tries to kick Francie but Francie grabs Sydney from around the waist and they both head for the full-length mirror by the bed.  Francie smashes Sydney's entire body into it.  The mirror smashes and Sydney falls, crumpled, to the floor, leaving a blood trail from her head on the wall behind her.

Francie, covered in blood herself, smirks.  She leans over to pick it up when Sydney grabs a shard of glass and swipes at Francie, leaving a large gash on her cheek.  Francie, shocked, jumps back and wipes her cheek.

Sydney takes the gun and shoots Francie in the arm.  Then in the left shoulder, followed by another shot in the right shoulder.  Francie falls, a dazed expression left on her face.  Sydney drops her arm and lets the gun fall to the floor.  Full of blood, she completely collapses on the floor amidst the broken mirror and trashed apartment.

~*~

Half an Hour Later

~*~

A phone is lying on the bedside table which looks as if it were about to fall over.  The phone starts to ring.

After about seventh ring, the voice mail picks up.

"You've reached Sydney and Francie.  Leave a message after the beep."

"Hey Syd.  It's me."  It was Vaughn.  "Just wanted to talk.  You must be out.  I'll call your cell."

~*~

Five Minutes Later

~*~

Out in the kitchen, Sydney's cell phone rings.  It was Vaughn again.

"You've reached Sydney's cell phone.  Leave a message after the beep."

"Syd…it's me.  I called your apartment but you weren't there.  Just give me a call when you get this message please."

~*~

The Next Day at the OPS Center

~*~

"Did anyone try her cell?  We have to start this meeting in five minutes," Kendall says.

"We tried her apartment and her cell phone numerous times.  No answer," Vaughn replies, walking over from his desk.

"Will someone just go over to her house and get her? We really need to start the meeting."

"I'll go," Vaughn volunteers.

"When she gets here, put her in my office.  We're going to have a long chat," Kendall says before going into the meeting room.

~*~

Vaughn arrives at Sydney's apartment.  When he walks up to the front door, he rings the bell and waits for an answer.  All is quiet inside the house.

Vaughn peers through the window.  The curtains are not drawn back, so it is hard for Vaughn to see inside.  He goes back to the door and rings the bell again.  Again, no answer.  This time, he tries to knock.

With a loud creak, the door opens up slowly, revealing the trashed apartment.

Looking around quickly, but thoroughly, Vaughn catches the scent of blood.  He races inside, finding blood practically everywhere.  On the kitchen counters, on the smashed remnants of the coffee table, the patio, the hallway.

Vaughn searches through every room, trying to find any traces of life.  Opening up the door leading to the bathroom, Vaughn finds Will, still in the bathtub, covered in blood.  Vaughn quickly tries to find a pulse, finds one, and makes for the nearest phone:  his cell phone in his jacket pocket.  He quickly calls the OPS Center and gets connected with Kendall.

"This had better be good Vaughn.  Everyone is waiting."

"Send an ambulance over to Sydney's apartment."

"Why?  What's wrong?"

"When I got to the apartment, I found the door unlocked and everything inside is all broken and trashed.  Will Tippin is here.  It looks like he's been stabbed, but he's alive.  I can't find Sydney anywhere," Vaughn says, out of breath.

"We'll send a squad over right away."

They disconnect and Vaughn makes sure Will is okay before going off in search of Sydney.

The last room he looks in is Sydney's bedroom.  The door is closed, and there's a smear of blood on the doorknob.  Vaughn pushes it open and peers inside.

The glass door leading out onto the patio is almost nonexistent.  The full-length mirror that use to be against the wall is in a million pieces on the floor.

The thing that surprises Vaughn the most is the body on the floor.  It's Francie.  She appears to be dead.

~*~

Within ten minutes, the squad from the OPS arrives along with an ambulance.

For the next hour or so, the squad searches the apartment for clues and do tests on the evidence, including the blood found from all over the place.  Will is taken to the hospital via the ambulance.

Jack Bristow makes his way over to his daughter's apartment.  When he arrives, he finds Vaughn who fills him in on everything that is already been concluded.  The only thing they are waiting for are the blood results.

~*~

After searching for more clues and waiting on more results, Jack and Vaughn find themselves back at the OPS Center.  Marshall is waving a folder in front of their faces, giving them his best fake smile.

"We have the blood results."

~*~

_A/N:  Hi all!  This is my first Alias fic.  I'm usually a Harry Potter kind of girl, but after that season finale of Alias Sunday night, my mind has been buzzing with ideas that I just had to get out of me.  Please review and let me know what you think, even if you don't like it.  I'll take anything right about now!  But before you go and review, I just want to make sure you all know that I only used the ending of the season finale script as a starter…I am not planning on using any more of the script than I already have.  If I do end up using more, it will probably already have been used in this first chapter._

_Oh, and by the way, if that ring Vaughn is wearing is actually a wedding ring and he's married to someone, I will personally hunt him down and kill him.  Don't you agree that he and Sydney are so meant for each other?_


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